Annual report of the Scientific Network on MRA 2015

Establishment of a system of Networks of organisations operating in the fields within EFSA’s mission is among the tasks of EFSA, according to its founding regulation (Regulation (EC) No 178/2002), in order to facilitate a scientific cooperation framework by the coordination of activities, the exchange of information, the development and implementation of joint projects, the exchange of expertise and best practices. Additionally, the EFSA Science Strategy 2012-2016 set the objective of developing, together with Member States’ competent authorities, multi-annual work programmes focused on filling data gaps and setting priorities for data collections. To implement the above provisions various Networks were established. The Scientific Network on Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA Network) had its first meeting in 2007 and, following this, one or two meetings per year have been held. Currently, 24 European Union Member States and two observer countries (Switzerland and Norway) are members of the MRA Network. Estonia joined the MRA network in 2015. In 2015, the MRA Network held its biannual meetings on 12–13 May 2015 and 27–28 October 2015, in Parma. During the biannual meetings a wide range of topics were discussed in relation to microbiological risk assessment. Among other topics, discussions focussed on risk ranking, Campylobacter risk assessment, antimicrobial resistance, consumption of insects, risk related to the consumption of raw drinking milk and raw milk products, hepatitis E virus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Stanley and S. Infantis. In 2016, two meetings of the MRA Network are foreseen.